Pioneers Round Out Non-Conference Slate Against Maine Sunday

Setting the Scene... The Sacred Heart women's basketball team is hoping their first ever win over the Maine Black Bears is also their first home win of the season as the teams meet for the first time Sunday in the William H. Pitt Center. The Pioneers are looking to snap a six-game losing streak after falling to Hartford 70-64 last weekend, while Maine is riding the momentum of last week's 72-58 win over Towson.

Series Notes... This is the first meeting between Sacred Heart and the Maine Black Bears.

SHU Against the America East... The Pioneers are 38-49 against the America East
- The Pioneer were 0-1 in 2012-13 against the America East falling to Stony Brook on the road 51-46
- Sacred Heart has winning records against Albany (9-6), Binghampton (4-2) and Stony Brook (11-5)
- SHU has losing records against UMASS-Lowell (8-28), Hartford (5-6) and Vermont (0-1), and is even
with New Hamshire (1-1)
- The only America East teams Sacred Heart have never faced are UMBC and Maine

The Head Coaches... Jessica Mannetti is in her first season as a collegiate head coach when the Pioneers tip-off in 2013-14. She comes to Sacred Heart after spending the past four seasons as an assistant coach at Hofstra University on Krista Kilburn-Steveskey's staff. While at Hofstra, Mannetti helped guide the Pride to a 72-55 record as well as a pair of appearances in the WNIT... Richard Barron begins his third year with the Black Bears, and his 13th overall season as a head coach. With two year's under his belt at Maine, Coach Barron has already made significant steps forward with the Black Bear women's basketball program. In his second season with Maine, Barron worked to develop one of the youngest squads in all of NCAA basketball. His first recruiting class welcomed nine student-athletes to the Black Bears, led by freshman forward Liz Wood who Barron helped develop into the America East Co-Player of the Year.

Up Next... Sacred Heart kicks off Northeast Conference play in the new year, hosting Saint Francis U in a rematch of last year's semifinal on January 4 at 2:00 p.m.